Dear, the girl who stands where I stood,

First of all I want you to know that in no way do I hate you. I have no reason to. However, the boy you are falling for was once my whole world so forgive me for being a little bit protective over him and his heart. I know I broke it so it is up to you now to truly put it back together.

He struggles to let people in so the fact that you have made it to this point should really mean a lot to you. People generally get on his nerves so the fact that he has chosen to spend time with you on a day to day basis is special. Please realize this. If he is wanting to spend time with you, make time for him. Do not take the little things for granted like when he asks you to throw the football in the parking lot or on the beach, or lay around to watch his favorite sports team play on the TV. These may seem like little things but to him they mean more than you could ever know.

Explain to him how much he means to you and how much you care about him as much as you can. He likes to see how much you care about him but he really loves to hear it. This is something that I did not do near enough. Something as simple as a text message after he goes to bed or putting a note somewhere that he will find and smile because you know exactly how to make his day. These simple things will mean the world to him. I know this because I didn't do them and he constantly asked me to.

He tries to put on a tough guy look on the outside but really he is one big softy. He will watch any Nicholas Sparks movie (and enjoy it) so don't hesitate to request your favorite one night. Along with this also comes the fact that he loves hard. You will become his entire world. Not in the annoying, overbearing, creepy boyfriend way, but in the "Wow! This boy would do anything for me" type way.

He is dating you because he sees a future with you. He is not the type of guy that dates a girl just because. I had my entire future planned with this boy and now it is your turn to plan forever with him. I hope your plan is different than mine in a lot of ways but one major way, I hope you actually get the happily ever after. I know that sounds so weird coming from a girl he used to love but I mean it from the bottom of my heart. He deserves a fairy tale ending and I hope that you are the one that can give it to him.

I am not saying any of this to make you feel like I know him better than you do or that we connected on a deeper level. I am telling you this because it was not until I was no longer his girlfriend that I realized all of this. I want you to know how lucky you are to have this boy before it is too late. I will always love him and I hope that a part of him will always love me, but his heart is yours now so protect it, care for it, and love it. I promise you will not be disappointed by the love he shows back to you.

Sincerely,

His past love